There are many types of containers in use for storing and displaying small objects or small quantities of material and many of these containers are used in connection with food products. One common container type has a wide, open top, a relatively shallow annular side wall which may be fluted or otherwise irregularly contoured, includes a removable lid and is often made of plastic. Such containers are frequently used to store dairy products such as sour cream, cheese, or butter; deli products such as egg salad; or bulk products such as rice or beans. Frequently, these containers include clear lids so that the product therein can be viewed from without. Sometimes an opaque lid having writing on it is used, or an information bearing label may be placed on the lid. Such containers are referred to hereinafter as "tubs." Because it is more difficult to print on plastic and/or on the annular side wall of such containers whether irregularly shaped or not, producers who market their products in plastic tubs are often limited in the nature of designs and colors that can economically be used to label such goods.
Regardless of the method of displaying information, the most visible, and hence, most useful surface of the container for displaying information is the lid. The lid is easily viewed by a prospective purchaser when the product rests on its base. The sides of the container are often narrow and sometimes angled and are less suitable for displaying information. The container bottom, besides being normally hidden, often has ridges or other features which result from the manufacturing process and may include a depression to increase the strength of the container. All of these problems make the container lid the location of choice for displaying product information.
Additionally, new nutritional labeling requirements mandate that certain information be displayed in a prominent manner. Such prominent displays take away from the space remaining for other marketing information. Furthermore, because the food product comes in contact with all interior surfaces of the container, the purchaser is unlikely to desire to cut portions from the container which bear recipes or coupons because these portions will be covered with the food product. Nor is it desirable to place coupons within the container with a product such as sour cream or cheese. It would be beneficial to package food products which are most economically sold in tubs in a manner that avoids the aforementioned problems without losing the economies associated with selling these products in tubs.